Whoops! Looks like it’s time for a refresher course in potty training 101. You might feel frustrated when your puppy has an accident, especially if you had already successfully housebroken it.
Many dogs have setbacks in potty training, but there are ways to help get house training back on track.
Regressing in potty training means your puppy backslides in the potty training basics. Your pup has more frequent accidents in the house, whether urinating or pooping.
Cleaning up after your dog is unpleasant for pet parents, especially with carpet in the house. It also makes the dog feel bad.
What is puppy potty training regression?
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Common explanations for puppy potty training regression include brain development, small bladders, and stress.
Puppy brains are still growing
Puppies are learning a lot: potty training, crate training, basic commands, and their family’s daily routines.
Like children, puppies don’t have great memories, and sometimes, all the new things they learn become disorganized.
Dogs aged four months to one year often have potty training setbacks. This is similar to human adolescence, when our brains are growing quickly, and we may act out more.
Young puppies, not unlike human teenagers, benefit a lot from a consistent structure and positive reinforcement. If you stopped using your dog’s crate, this is a good time to resume crate training.
Providing adequate supervision can help you catch your dog’s signals that they need to go out.
Submissive peeing
Between dogs, peeing is a sign of submission.
If you’re too forceful or mad at your puppy, it might pee to calm down a potentially scary situation.
Alternatively, if you add a new dog to the house, your pup might try to appease it.
Puppies need more bathroom breaks
Adult dogs have larger bladders than puppies, so young dogs need more chances to go outside and relieve themselves. The amount of time between potty breaks directly relates to your dog’s age and size.
Most dogs can wait six to eight hours between bathroom breaks, but you may need to let puppies out five or more times a day. Small puppies especially may need more trips outside.
Create a potty training schedule. If your pup knows it can depend on frequent trips outside, an accident indoors is less likely.
Use positive reinforcement
Potty training is a crucial aspect of raising a puppy, and it can be frustrating when your furry friend starts to regress in their training.
But using positive reinforcement techniques can help you get back on track.
Use verbal praise
Positive reinforcement involves rewarding desired behavior with praise or treats to encourage repeating that behavior.
Whenever your puppy successfully goes potty outside, give them lots of verbal praise, such as saying “good job” or “good boy/girl.”
Your pup will quickly learn that going outside equals getting praised by their favorite person – you.
Give treats
In addition to verbal praise, treats reinforce positive behavior during potty training.
When your pup goes potty outside, reward them with a small treat immediately after they finish their business.
Just like verbal praise, this helps them associate going potty in the right place with something positive.
Stress and anxiety
Puppies experiencing potty training regression may be suffering from separation anxiety or another new stressor. Consider new life factors that could negatively impact your dog’s mental health.
Have you moved into a new house? Is there a new member of the family or a new pet? Are there uncommon loud noises (i.e., fireworks or a baby crying)?
If so, try to find ways to help your furry family member adjust to the new situation. Lots of exercise, CBD treats, and stimulating toys can be helpful for a dog that feels anxious.
A stressful situation can also lead to your puppy becoming much more stubborn, which can cause potty training backslides; Dog Academy offers a puppy potty training guide.
Tips for fixing potty training regression
Clean up prior accidents well
Anyone who’s ever taken a dog for a walk knows that dogs love to pee on things. By marking areas with their scent, dogs are asserting dominance.
They’ll often pee on the same areas to strengthen their claim on a specific territory.
So, if your dog has had an accident indoors, be sure you deep-clean the area.
If your dog can pick up urine odors, that could encourage the canine instinct to continue marking that spot.
Stay positive and calm
Scolding or punishing dogs for having an accident indoors is never the way to go.
This can cause increased anxiety and stress in your dog, which could exacerbate the issue.
Instead, lean on positive reinforcement tactics like treats and praise when your dog does something right, like when it goes to the bathroom outside.
If you think your puppy is peeing to communicate submission, try calmly walking away from the situation instead of showing disapproval.
Be consistent and patient
You can do it again if you’ve successfully potty-trained your puppy once. Consistency is critical; you may need to reestablish your basic routines.
Take your puppy outside to go potty at the same time every day. These times can be in the morning, mid-morning, afternoon, dinner, and before bed.
Let your dog out before breakfast and dinner so it associates using the restroom outside before earning a scoop of kibble. Use a feeding schedule to keep meal times consistent, and ensure your dog has fresh water.
Taking your puppy to a dedicated potty spot outside also can help.
Your dog will quickly learn to identify specific trees or patches of grass during walks. This will help them associate going outside with taking potty breaks.
Use positive reinforcement
Potty training is a crucial aspect of raising a puppy, and it can be frustrating when your furry friend starts to regress in their training.
But using positive reinforcement techniques can help you get back on track.
Use verbal praise
Positive reinforcement involves rewarding good habits with praise or treats to encourage repeating that behavior.
Whenever your puppy successfully goes potty outside, give them lots of verbal praise, such as saying “good job” or “good boy/girl.”
Your pup will quickly learn that going outside equals getting praised by their favorite person – you.
Give treats
In addition to verbal praise, treats reinforce positive behavior during potty training.
When your pup goes potty outside, reward them with a small treat immediately after they finish their business.
Just like verbal praise, this helps them associate going potty in the right place with something positive.
Hire a dog walker
If you think your puppy’s accidents are related to extended time indoors, consider hiring a dog sitter or dog walker to let your puppy out during the day.
This is especially important for dog owners who work long hours. If you have to leave your dog for extended periods, offer other options to take your dog out.
Your puppy must have frequent bathroom breaks. Even adult dogs should never go longer than eight hours without a trip outside.
When to call the vet
While potty training regression is pervasive, rule out any potential medical causes.
If a housebroken, otherwise healthy older dog suddenly has frequent accidents indoors, it’s worth calling the vet.
Frequent urination can be a symptom of a bladder infection, kidney problems, diabetes, parasites, or canine dementia.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) commonly cause indoor urination, especially for female dogs. Luckily, while UTIs are uncomfortable, antibiotics usually cure quickly.
If you take your puppy to the vet and learn that your little one is perfectly healthy, you can feel confident that the potty training woes are linked to a nonmedical concern.
Focus instead on reestablishing your puppy’s routine and providing extra bathroom breaks.
You might consider keeping a journal to track when your puppy has an accident; it can help identify patterns contributing to the problem.
Final thoughts on puppy potty training regression
The bottom line is that puppy training isn’t easy, and there may be a time when dogs regress.
While indoor accidents are annoying, remember that your pup isn’t doing it intentionally.
Buy an extra strength cleaner with enzymes and a bag of your puppy’s favorite treats. Always praise and reward your dog when he does what you want.
Positive reinforcement training techniques are more effective than yelling and punishing your dog.
Don’t get frustrated. Just get back to the basics and start the potty training process again. Your dog will get back on track in no time.